New data obtained by CBS 8 through a public records request shows car-versus-pedestrian crashes are trending upward in San Diego over the past six years, since 2020.
SAN DIEGO — A deadly crash in Pacific Beach over the weekend is once again raising questions about pedestrian safety and San Diego’s Vision Zero goal to eliminate traffic deaths.
Just after 2 a.m. Saturday, San Diego police say a man was found lying in the roadway along Garnet Avenue near Gresham Street, badly injured and possibly the victim of a hit-and-run. First responders attempted life-saving measures, but the man later died at the hospital.
Police say investigators are still searching for the driver and the vehicle involved, which may be a white SUV with front-end damage near the passenger headlight. Anyone with information is urged to contact San Diego Police or Crime Stoppers.
While police have not officially released the victim’s identity, a co-worker’s family identified him to CBS 8 as 41-year-old Qwente “Q” Bryant. Bryant worked at Tavern at the Beach, just a few blocks from where the crash happened.
The restaurant has remained closed since the incident, posting on social media that it was mourning the sudden loss of a beloved member of its Tavern family. Flowers and a growing memorial have been left outside the business in Bryant’s memory. The restaurant is expected to reopen on Tuesday.
“This is frustrating, and it’s really tragic,” said Aria Grossman, policy manager with Circulate San Diego, a transportation advocacy group.
The Pacific Beach crash is the latest in a series of deadly pedestrian incidents across the city. In October, 12-year-old Andrew Olsen was killed while walking to school in San Carlos after a driver struck him at an unmarked intersection on Jackson Drive. Following that tragedy, the city installed stop signs and traffic calming measures at the intersection.
New data obtained by CBS 8 through a public records request shows car-versus-pedestrian crashes are trending upward in San Diego over the past six years, since 2020. In 2025, there were 687 reported collisions, the highest number in six years.
At the same time, the number of pedestrian deaths and serious injuries has remained relatively steady during the same time period since 2020, a trend that advocates say falls short of the city’s Vision Zero goal to eliminate traffic fatalities.
“Looking at the trends, it’s very clear that what the city has been doing just isn’t working,” Grossman said.
Grossman and other safety advocates argue the issue goes beyond individual behavior and points to how streets are designed and which safety projects are prioritized.
“I think everyone can agree that achieving a world where there are zero pedestrian or bicyclist fatalities on the road should be the world that we’re all trying to work towards,” Grossman said. “What we need to change is our approach to making safety improvements to get to this goal.”
CBS 8 reached out to the City of San Diego for comment. A spokesperson said the city remains committed to Vision Zero and to improving street safety by enhancing visibility, reducing vehicle speeds and using thoughtful road design. They say improvements they’ve made have led to an overall decrease in severe injuries and fatal crashes when looking at data going back to 2018.
The City’s full response said, “The City of San Diego remains committed to the Vision Zero goal of zero traffic-related severe injuries or fatalities, and we work toward achieving this goal every day. Pedestrian-related fatal collisions remain the most common type of incident, and the City continues to implement improvements to make pedestrians safer. Improving road safety involves enhancing visibility, reducing vehicle speeds, thoughtful road design that minimizes conflicts at intersections, and implementing systemic safety measures that account for human error. The City’s commitment to these improvements has led to an overall decrease in severe injuries and fatal crashes since 2018.
Yearly incidents of fatal and severe crashes are listed and can be viewed on the data dashboard of Vision Zero San Diego at https://www.sandiego.gov/vision-zero.”
Back in Pacific Beach, the loss is still being felt. Flowers continue to sit outside Tavern at the Beach, where coworkers say they are grieving the loss of a friend and colleague.
Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact San Diego Police at 619-531-2000 or Crime Stoppers.